Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-14
1a51u y Eaole
THE FIRST KATYDIDS,


through it and out to the back stoop, wLere
the Old Settler was smoking his pipe after
supper, and little Peleg, his grandson. was
hlooAng At ginger snap he had carried
away frc N the table when his grandmother
back WIS turned.
W hat Is 1t them bugs is hollering, grand
popE' asked Peleg, shaking a small shower of
cake crumbs over the floor OF the stoop
Them hain't bugs, Peleg," replied the Old
Settler, AN consistently they haiu't holler-
N; but l know what boy bout your sizell
be hollerin' wen his gran nanny secs them
crlmbS-an' tI1at'Il be 'Boo-h-o-o-o-or an
'OUtch!' an 'Boo-h-o-o-o-o! ag'in in q voice
meloGeOuser thin boot owl an twicet as
penetratin'.T
"Ain't they bugs, grandpopz' said Peleg,
with his mind still on the katydids, and max
ing a svvoop at the cake crumbs with his foot,
as If to brush than away, but plascering them
fat and pasty on the floor instead.
no, they hain't bugs replied Peleg's
grandfather. ''They'm insec's, Peleg. They'm
night sinEin', Up-corn-blades sort o.
grasshopper. They'm greener thin them ap-
pies th't you an Bill Simmons sneaked out-n
OF Banty Rouzeris orchid t'other day, an
witch If ye do it agin it vun't be me ell set
up all night, b'gosh, an plug hotdrOps inter
ye An they've got a voice, them insec's
has, Ike u wheelbar' that hain't been
CREASED sance 4 year ago last Fourth O July:
an wat they warblas, sol durn EN-, IS Frost
in-six-vvee!ts F-0sl-;l-siz-weeksr An that's
jist aCoiltar ketch some O nv late garden
truck right hecvizU wind an water an knock
it 81 wuthaess e coon meat! Frost in six
weeks, II had the maxim o katydids I'd
fetch EN- along bout Dec %, bgosh, an
then they dould call for frost in six weeks, or
frust in thTee days, or frost in twenty min
utes, jist ez they blame pleased. and be burned
to emf
so them Is katydids, hay. said little Pc
Lee. oh, then I know what it Is they're hol-
lerinC. 'ha-cy-didr says one Of 'cm. Then
another one jaws back and says. Katy
dldn'rr Then one away over so.ncwheIes
else h0liers out. a-tv-broke-tne bottle"
"Jee-chizz, Peleg.7 exclaimed the Old Set
tier, taking his pipe ont Of his mouth and
looking around him with much concern
Did she, though. Broke it, hayl Who was
Katy, Peleg7 And w'at-d she break the bot
tie fur: l hope tn want no5hin' in it
that'd a ben handy to hev around in case o
collie or snake bites was tn, Pceg:"
Peieg could give his grandfather no infor-
tleman's disappointment. The mysterious
Katy's unaccountabIe breakage Of glassware
seemed 70 worry the Old Settler. for he mat
tered several times, as if in troubled thought:
Broke the bottle. did she? I wonder if TIL
were anything split th't d a tasted good to
NOR b. and By he knocked the ashes out
Of his pipe and, rising from his chair, peereG
in ct the kitchen door, and looked out around
the yard
DO We see anything o Yer gran nanny
Pelegs- he asked.
She's gone to Miss Ketchum's 70 borrow
some empvtin's 70 set bread with, said Peleg
The Oh Settler put on his hat.
If she shd happen 70 come IN fore I sit
back. Pela-" h. said. tell her I've stepped
down 70 the poscatii,e 70, VIII ya, sonny"
Peleg said be would. and the Old Settler
went away as If be were in q hurry. Some F.
how or other he forgot that he was going to
the postoaiee. and took the road thar red 20
the tavern The Squire and one or two Of .
the boys were there when he entered. (
"Ci'd evenin', Major said the Squire
The Old Settler glanced with some anxiety
back of the bar. Whether or not ne had had .
his fears that Katy had been running amuck .
among certain glassware there, his glance .
seemed TO ease his mind. Every bottle was
in its place intact, and the Old Settler sat .
down, plainly relieved.
''Crd evenin'," he said. distributing a bland
smile equally between the boys and the .
Squire ! thort th't r1ebby I mowt run agin .
n candidate or two over here t-night. an | .
saws to M'riar jist afore l left hum tht I .
guessed III drop over an see wat the pros
PEGS vas fur shurf, an she saws she wisht .
would. g she's kinder anxious bout the state
O the kzutrv herself. Ben any candidates IN +
IatelyT
Three left here not more'n Eve minutes
l-o," said TIE Squire; two on en- fur shurf .
AZ one on ON fur jadge. But - tLuz three
more candidates furshurf and three fur jedge
i,lo W s-e Didn't none ~ is commit 'UrSelfS.
though I don't think ever see Inducements
lviu' round 50 fast an 50 NUMEROUS. I got
seven on EN- myself. an ev'rv one on EN- had
3it-ers an SUGAR in il. Major, its n little
unusual fur y2r to be behind hand Wen self
;acriGril' patriots Is around savin' the
lentry"
Wall. Squire, replied the Old Settler.
sadly. I'm Finer'Iy around an
villin' to b ar-iad yyi-h that's q fact. AMI I'd
a ben here il time n consider some o taem
rh't was offered this evenin' if l
hadn't stg-nad 10 cire nv little Eransca some !
,'ints in ra,ral hisrrE th't he ortsr know
bout. Il won't DO 70 let the youth o the
,eatry grow up in l-.i rance, squire, even if
,arventin' IL "a hef 70 cut yersglf a lectla
hort. Is the prospects cheeriu'. SQUIRE
Be they cheeriu'3" said the Squire BE
hey? Wall, with five caniidates IN the fell
elJ for slurf, four perSp:rja Teller citizens
li.in' along neck an neck fur jed-o. IN
unno how many soarin' statesmen Iiniu' fur
be le-i-laru-, Il the proSpec'> haint ez bright
z Il they had a seyaIty-ci.-ht can r. power
lcll lamp turned on EN-, then tn haint no
Sc tn bcin' anT prospects at al Bur ye
rant u be around. Major, an 4 havfn' yet
-cather eve proDTed wide open No c3Iii-
ate hain't oute1 TIE woods TIL the polls Is
let. and Consistently th'l be inducemeutl
van round plain an with b.tters in. from
ow till shutdown on lection Gay. Til never
AS . time wen It stood ye more II hand 70
il a double hitch on old eternal vigilance
in tn is ROW. hocch him by the neck.
iajor. an Keep him with yer
The Old Settler SAID he would. Then he .
ast his eye over the bar and ron it along tie
.rav Of political influence standing there,
7rLad up and neatly labeled And he
-ondered if any Of the candidates due would
rpD in and bring some Of that influence TO
sur upon hir1i before he went home.
The wav the katvtiids IS tu1nin' UP,
,quire, sal he, by and by. twon't be a
rsat X lie fore the oI tea kistle Il be a bilin'
ere. an wei la Z Icokil' round fur loctle
mon an sugar. an a lettle Of stingo from ,,
andy Hia4-o. 10 kinder dilute n swaIler o.
20 Q hot sratev with, wun't We
-Natarl, replied the Squire. Else +;
las the use o haviI' the weather GIT cool!7
-so use. p,tic'.sr.- sid The Oh Settler. !.